Police are trying to find out where campaign money collected from members of the Scottish National Party has gone.
STT-,
Leonard Wilhelmus
Former Prime Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon was arrested on financial charges, police and British media said on Sunday. According to the police, he was questioned on suspicion of a crime, the Guardian reported.
Police did not name Sturgeon, but said the 52-year-old was arrested in connection with a financial investigation into the Scottish National Party. British media confirmed that the arrested woman is Sturgeon.
Sturgeon was released in the evening after seven hours of questioning. However, the investigation into the former prime minister continues.
According to Sturgeon’s spokesperson, Sturgeon cooperates with police investigators and participates in the questioning voluntarily.
This is already the third arrest in the same investigation. In April, Sturgeon’s husband was arrested Peter Murrellwho is also the party’s former executive director.
He has since been released, and so far no charges have been brought against him. In April, the party’s treasurer was also arrested Colin Beattie. He was also acquitted without charges, but left his post shortly after his arrest.
A surprise resignation from the position of prime minister at the beginning of the year
In their investigation, the police are trying to find out, among other things, what happened to the more than 660,000 pounds donated by party members, which were supposed to be used for campaigning during a possible future independence referendum.
According to the BBC, it has since emerged that the party has less than £100,000 in its bank account and less than £300,000 in assets. Murrell had also failed to declare a personal loan of more than £100,000 to the party, potentially breaching Scottish election laws.
In the spring, the police, among other things, searched Sturgeon and Murrell’s home in Glasgow and the party’s office in Edinburgh. In addition, in the spring, the police seized a luxurious mobile home from the yard of Murrell’s mother’s home in Dunfermline, the British media reported.
Sturgeon resigned as Scottish Prime Minister unexpectedly in February. Then he justified his resignation with “lack of energy”. He managed to work in the position for more than eight years.
Story updated with information about Sturgeon’s release on June 11, 2023 at 8:20 p.m.